Two Fish Become One Fish
by wryencounter
Summary: Aqualad/La'gaan for a friend.


La'gaan sat in the kitchen of the Watchtower with Kaldur, eating some crab cakes that M'Gann had been nice enough to make earlier. They sat and talked about Atlantis and recent missions they had completed. They hadn't had much time to sit and talk. They had both been busy.

La'gaan had been working on getting over M'Gann, which was difficult to do when her and Conner were walking around holding hands all the time and making cooing noises. Had they been that annoying when they were dating? It wouldn't surprise him.

Kaldur had been busy with leader duties and collaborating with the League. Ever since Nightwing left things had been a little hectic, but they were starting to smooth out now.

La'gaan sighed as Tim and Cassie walked through the kitchen, holding hands. The blonde was giggling about something that, presumably, Tim had said. They came in one door and left through another.

"Is there something wrong, my friend?" Kaldur asked.

It took La'gaan a moment to answer. "Everything's fine. I just... It sucks being alone all the time."

"You're not alone now. I am here." Kaldur said, possibly missing the point. Or maybe avoiding it. La'gaan couldn't tell.

"Not _alone_. Lonely. Without someone to care for. You know." He replied with half of a shrug.

He chanced a glance at the older Atlantean. He wasn't that much older. They were only four years apart, and they'd know each other a long time. La'gaan would be lying if he'd said his feelings for Kaldur were just those of admiration.

Sure, Kaldur was strong and smart and good in the field, and he was a great leader, too. But there was a soft, quietness to him that appealed to La'gaan. Maybe it's because he always felt like he was at war with everyone, granted that feeling had been worked into him at a young age and it was hard to let it go. But when he was around Kaldur he didn't feel like that. He felt calm and comfortable, like the dark-skinned man was projecting what he was feeling.

La'gaan should probably spend more time with people like that. The only other people that had ever made him feel like that were Lori, Blubber, and M'Gann. And the last one was out of the question, and he didn't have a lot of time to visit Atlantis. So every spare minute he could spend with Kaldur he was doing it.

Sometimes he would just sit in the communications room when Kaldur was working; pretending to be observing what he was doing so he could help out there. Usually it was either Kaldur, Mal, or Captain Atom running comms. They could use an extra pair of claws.

But in reality he was there because Kaldur'ahm was.

He had never really given his feelings for Kaldur much thought because he had been younger at the time. And then Kaldur had gone secret double agent on everyone and he had pretty much given up hope. But now Kaldur was back and they were both single from what he could tell. He was, that's for sure.

Kaldur hadn't responded to his last statement so he let it hang in the air. There wasn't really anything else to say. He knew Kaldur was still heartbroken over Tula.

He grabbed another crab cake from the plate but didn't eat it. He stared at the wall, not really paying much attention to anything.

Should he tell Kaldur'ahm about his feelings? Probably not. He'd just get turned down. But what if he didn't and Kaldur actually liked him back and he missed out on a great opportunity? Yeah, right. Who would actually like him? Someone like Kaldur could get any fish in the sea that he wanted.

He jumped slightly when Kaldur put his hand on his arm. "Is something bothering you, La'gaan?"

"No! I mean, no, nothings bothering me." He answered, cursing himself silently for his outburst. Why had he reacted like that?

"If there is something bothering you, you may talk to me. As a friend or as your leader." Kaldur said with a soft smile and La'gaan swore his heart melted.

"It's nothing. I just..." He shook his head.

But apparently just shaking his head wasn't enough to keep the next words from leaving his mouth.

"I like you, Kaldur."

He froze. Kaldur didn't move except for the look of surprise on his face. La'gaan panicked.

"Sorry, forget I said anything. I'll just go." La'gaan rushed out; pretty sure he ran his words together like Bart did.

It took everything he had to not run from the room. He walked quickly towards the zeta tubes, ignoring anyone who tried to talk to him in the hallway.

When he exited the zeta tubes on the other end he was greeted by fresh, salty, pacific air. He always came to the ocean when he needed to get away. He sat in the sand where the cool waves could crash against his feet.

Why had he said that? That was stupid. A mistake. He should have kept his mouth shut. Now things were going to be extremely awkward.

He really must not have been paying attention because he nearly jumped out of his scales when someone said from behind him, "La'gaan."

"Neptune's beard, Kaldur. Don't sneak up on me like that." He said as he stood up, brushing the sand from his shorts.

Kaldur was only standing a few feet away from him with an amused grin on his lips. La'gaan swallowed thickly.

"Look, I'm sorry for what I said back at the Watchtower. Not that I didn't mean-" His words were quickly cut off as Kaldur closed the space between them and pressed their lips against La'gaan's.

La'gaan blinked a few times. "Wh-What was that for, chum?"

"That was because I feel the same way, La'gaan. Which I would have said had you not run out of the Watchtower without giving me a chance to answer." Kaldur smiled at him.

"Wait, really?" La'gaan asked, incredulous. There was no way _Kaldur_ had feelings for him.

"Yes, really."

La'gaan returned his smile then, feeling like he could swim against any current in the ocean when Kaldur kissed him again, not hesitating to kiss back.


End file.
